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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24445858">See Me, Please</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustBeMe13/pseuds/JustBeMe13'>JustBeMe13</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>One Piece</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Character Death, Happy Ending, M/M, dumbasses in love</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 09:55:30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,176</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24445858</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustBeMe13/pseuds/JustBeMe13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Zoro blames himself for Sanji's death and trains harder than ever. Mihawk sees something unusual and calls in a favor. It seems the cook's days are yet to end.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dracule Mihawk/Perona, Roronoa Zoro/Vinsmoke Sanji</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>129</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>See Me, Please</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Idiot.”</p><p>It is near the end of Roronoa’s two year training that Mihawk first hears it. The sound of another person scoffing and calling someone an idiot. Mihawk himself is watching Roronoa as he does some kata’s. He tenses, startled that he didn’t sense the person. He whips around, hand on the hilt on his sword. He comes face to face with a young man, floating in the air. Mihawk raises his brow in confusion, what is going on here? The young man has blonde hair and is sucking on a cigarette with nimble fingers. He’s wearing a suit and his lower half is gone, a whisp of smoke in it’s place. His body is slightly translucent.</p><p>A ghost, Mihawk realizes.</p><p>“Who are you?” Mihawk asks, relaxing slightly. The teenage boy looks startled and makes eye contact with him. With a gasp, the ghost floats over to him and waves. Mihawk follows the movement in utter boredom. The ghost looks like he’s received the best gift ever when he realizes Mihawk can see him.</p><p>“You can see me?” the kid asks. Mihawk nods and the blonde teen cheers happily. He floats in circles for a minute and glances at Roronoa a few times. Mihawk frowns, was this kid tethered to Roronoa? It looked like it. It would explain a few things about the green haired man’s behavior.</p><p>“How?” the kid asks then. Mihawk looks at him, there’s a hole in his chest and blood coating his suit. There’s a chain in the hole and it’s lodged around both his wrists. There’s blood on his hands as well and his body goes transparent further down, until his legs cannot be seen. He’s certainly dead. Was he a crewmember, a comrade? Why is he here?</p><p>“I can, perhaps through my Haki, see you,” Mihawk says. “Who are you?” he asks again.</p><p>“I’m Sanji, and that moss headed idiot over there is blaming himself for my death,” the ghost explains, pointing at Roronoa.</p><p>Yep, Mihawk thinks, this is a crewmember of Roronoa. He looks like it too, a strong young man in his late teens. Mihawk can feel his power, even though he’s obviously dead. It’s a little weird actually. There’s a ghost here that’s not Perona’s and it’s tethered to Roronoa of all people. Mihawk wonders why to him, were they good friends? No, the blonde ghost seems to hate Roronoa as much as he could hate anything. But there’s something else to it as well. Mihawk can’t quite place it though, and it irritates him.</p><p>“Why are you here? You’re deceased, mustn’t you be in the afterlife?” Mihawk asks in curiosity. Sanji turns to him with a confused face. It seems the ghost himself must not know. Sanji shrugs and floats upside down for a while, seemingly thinking.</p><p>“I guess, but I’m not. I don’t know why though. I only know that that bastard Kizaru got a lucky shot in and killed me. I could see my body fall, but I was already out of it. Then that Kuma guy sent off the crew somewhere and I was shot along with this idiot,” he says. He seems rather distressed about it, suddenly being dead is like that. But still, Mihawk wonders why he’s not gone and here instead.</p><p>Mihawk sighs and walks over to Roronoa. The green haired teen looks at him and stops his reps. He’s huffing air and obviously tired. Mihawk points to the castle silently and Roronoa nods, sheathing his katana and sighing loudly. He scratches at the bandage over his left eye and Mihawk bats his hand away with a growl. He shouldn’t take off the bandage if he wants to keep his head on his body.</p><p>“Go take a rest, tomorrow you are going to do something different, and you can’t stop until it’s done.”</p><p>Roronoa nods slowly, a suspicious look on his face as he passes Mihawk. The warlord follows him to the castle and Roronoa disappears from view. The blonde ghost follows him and Mihawk can’t help but let a little smile pass his face.</p><p>This will be interesting to say the least.</p><p>
  <strong>o-o-o</strong>
</p><p>Zoro grumbles as he waits for Mihawk to get out of the castle. What does he have to do now? Why something new? Zoro looks up as Mihawk exits the castle. Zoro is really wondering what is going on when Mihawk casts a glance at thin air and seems to roll his eyes.</p><p>“So? What is it?” Zoro asks. Mihawk sends him a glare and the swordsman wisely shuts up. The man takes Yoru from his back and Zoro takes a step back in alarm. Mihawk swipes the sword at him and Zoro dodges nimbly.</p><p>“Hey!” Zoro yelps, taking out two of his katana. He clashes blades with Mihawk and the older swordsman grins sickly. Zoro can feel an ominous aura come from him and he swallows. Yoru is heavy on his swords and Zoro skids back, his feet getting no purchase on the ground. Mihawk pushes him back still, the grin on his face getting wider.</p><p>“Use you Haki Roronoa, try and defeat me. If you satisfy me today, you’ll get a precious reward,” Mihawk says. Zoro grins determinately and draws his third sword, clashing with Mihawk again. They go at it until dark and still they do not stop. Zoro wants that reward and he wants to win. He knows he may not, but he has to try. He can’t let his family down again.</p><p>Never again, he thinks grimly as Yoru comes down hard and he’s brought to his knees. They scrape open against the cobble stone and he hisses, but keeps his face straight. Sadly, not a second later and Zoro sees something flicker in his field of vision and his eyes widen. His concentration is broken and it vanishes, leaving him unguarded and gaping at the image of the ethereal blonde.</p><p>A streak of pain hits him hard and he screams, clutching at his chest as Mihawk cuts precisely over his ragged scar, reopening it slightly. Zoro bites his lip hard and draws blood as he sags to the forest floor, energy sapped away from him. He hits the grass hard and his breath hitches as pain floods his system.</p><p>“You did well, Roronoa. You’ve earned the reward. Tomorrow you shall go look for it,” Mihawk says, sheathing Yoru and walking away, leaving Zoro to gasp in the grass, a puddle of blood forming underneath his downed body.</p><p>Zoro’s image blurs and he catches another glimpse of blonde hair and blue eyes before his world tilts and he’s seeing nothing.</p><p>
  <strong>o-o-o</strong>
</p><p>Sanji flits back and forth angrily as Perona treats Zoro’s wounds. The idiot is passed out on the couch of the castle and Mihawk is simply sipping his wine while reading the newspaper.</p><p>“How dare you,” Sanji grits out. Mihawk looks up at him, then back at the newspaper, giving no answer.</p><p>“Could you shut up,” Perona murmurs. Sanji shuts his mouth quickly, knowing when not to anger her. She’s terrifying when she gets mad as she can sick the ghosts on him as well. Sanji does not enjoy that, at all.</p><p>“I’m sorry,” he whispers. Perona shoots him a look and Sanji says no more. He glances at Zoro and sees that he’s breathing easily now. Better than before when Sanji had gone to fetch Perona.  </p><p>Sanji has been worried for the past four hours. The idiot passed out and didn’t wake up, even when the monkey’s neared. So Sanji had done the only logical thing and had tried to wake him up. He knew it wouldn’t work. But he tried to anyway.</p><p>Sanji bites his lip and sulks in a corner of the room. There’s a gloomy air hanging around him and Mihawk is shooting him glares. He’s probably making it cold in the room. Sanji growls and flies out of the room. He’ll come back once Zoro wakes up. He doesn’t have anything else to do but watch.</p><p>
  <strong>o-o-o</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>“SANJI!” Ussop screams. Zoro can’t lift his head to look but he knows that Sanji just got hit by something. Ussop is frozen in fear next to him on the ground and Zoro tries his hardest to let his muscles do what he wants. They tremble with the effort, but nothing happens. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“U-Ussop...” he croaks out, raspy and dry. Ussop looks at him as if snapped out of a trance. He has a grim look on his face and Zoro’s eyes widen slightly. That is not just some look, it’s one of anger, grief and pain. Zoro tries to get up again, but nothing works and he can only scream in anger. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Ussop picks him up and takes off, running away. Zoro can’t see behind him, but he can hear anguished screams of his nakama and he wonders why he can’t do anything. Oh, right, he’s too weak. Sanji’s probably dead and it’s his fault. He’s the one in pain, he’s the one they had to protect and they will die doing so. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Zoro feels tears prick his eyes, but he refuses to let them fall. Ussop’s cry of pain replays in his head a few times before a real cry breaks through his thoughts and he’s smacking to the ground again. He lifts his head, it works this time, and he freezes. This time, it’s the real Kuma. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>The cyborg is looking down at him with a calm expression and Zoro can’t help but feel another sting of pain from his wounds. He lifts himself of the ground, trembling with the effort and using a sword as a crutch. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“You’re still alive I see,” Kuma notes. Zoro grins grimly, no thanks to him though. He looks up at the warlord and his vision sways. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Thanks to your mercy, I am,” he croaks out. Kuma doesn’t say much and stares him down for a while, bible in hand. Ussop, behind him, is frozen in utter terror and fear. After a few more moments, Kuma takes of his glove and Zoro freezes as well. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“If you could go on a vacation, where is it you would like to go?” he asks. Zoro frowns and opens his mouth to answer, but he sees the glint of understanding and sympathy in Kuma’s eyes, and keep his mouth shut. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Kuma’s smile is slow, tiny. Zoro sees his hands move, then he sees nothing. </em>
</p><p>
  <strong>o-o-o</strong>
</p><p>Perona clicks her tongue as she finishes bandaging the swordsman. She stands, turning to Mihawk. He’s still in the same spot, sipping his wine and reading the newspaper. She walks over to him, plopping down in his lap and crushing the newspaper under her butt.</p><p>“I was reading that,” Mihawk says slowly. Perona ignores him and leans into his chest. With a sigh, Mihawk places down his wine glass and wraps and arm around her waist gently. Perona smiles and sits back, leaning into his warmth. She’s a bit antsy since she’s seen the ghost. He’s not cute at all.</p><p>“He’s gone,” she notes then. Mihawk nods against her, a silent agreement. She could sent her ghost to find him, but he probably needs privacy. She knows what he wants, but she can’t grant it to him, nor can anyone else for that matter.</p><p>“He’s going to be alive again, you know,” Mihawk says behind her. She startles. Alive again? How so? Why? How can someone that is dead, a ghost, be alive again. She frowns.</p><p>“What?” she asks. No other word wants to come out of her mouth and she scowls. Mihawk rumbles a laugh and she feels it reverberate through her back. It’s soothing, in a strange way. He weaves a hand through her pink hair and places a gentle kiss on her exposed shoulder.</p><p>“I asked a favor of a friend, he’s going to bring that ghost back to live, but only if he has a strong connection to Roronoa.” Perona frowns. A strong connection? Well, they are crewmates and all. But that ghost seems to hate Zoro a lot. An awful lot. But he was worried and came to get Perona as soon as he could, showing her the downed Zoro.</p><p>Perona sighed. “Alright, I won’t ask, but you owe me for this one,” she says. Mihawk smiles and hugs her form to him. He eyes Zoro on the couch and Perona can feel that he is worried. Worried for what, she does not know yet.</p><p>
  <strong>o-o-o</strong>
</p><p>Zoro eyes the stranger with an air of wariness. He doesn’t know this person, but Mihawk seems to trust him. Zoro sheaths his swords and halts his training as the man looks at him. He’s also looking at a spot next to him with a frown.</p><p>“It seems that I can do as you asked, Hawkeye,” he says. Mihawk nods his head and gives one of his rare mini smiles. The man looks at him as well and smiles back. His blank eyes seem to see things that Zoro cannot see.</p><p>“Who are you?” Zoro growls out, feeling creeped out. There’s a cold air hanging around him, like something else is uncomfortable as well. The man turns back to him with a whip of his white hair and smirks.</p><p>“Young man, you need to ask the right questions.” Zoro frowns at that. Right questions? What does that mean? He looks at Mihawk for guidance, but sees that the man is already occupied with Perona’s blabbering. There is apparently no help for him this time around.</p><p>“What are you?” Zoro asks with uncertainty. The man’s smirk seems to widen and he has a glimmer in his dead eyes that Zoro doesn’t like.</p><p>“I’m a Revival Human. I can revive the dead if they have a strong connection to someone and are ghosts,” he says.</p><p>“What?” Zoro blurts out, his brain stuttering to catch up. Dead people? Alive? Connection? What is this guy talking about? Zoro has no more time to think as the man advances on him and grabs his wrist. Zoro tries to pull free in a state of panic, but one look at the man’s eyes confirm it. He’s not alone here, has never been.</p><p>He stutters to a stop, freezing all movement as he realizes what has been right under his nose. He looks sideways to see the weird glimmer of blonde and blue colors. It’s not something he can call human, or even a ghost, he thought of it as a specter. But it is definitely who he thinks it is.</p><p>“S-Sanji?” he stammers. The colors flicker and become a tad more distinguished. The blank eyed man grabs onto the colors, or whatever he grabbed, and begins some strange ritual. Zoro feels something pull and he gasps out as pain skyrockets through his chest.</p><p>There’s a scream next to him, and the moment after, he falls to the ground, next to a very naked Sanji. He turns his head and stares, sees Sanji stare as well, at his legs. Sanji is looking as confused as Zoro feels. But there is something else that is bursting out of Zoro’s chest before he can stop it. He stares for a second longer, before lunging at the blonde and slotting their mouths together with a crash and the click of teeth on teeth.</p><p>Sanji yelps, but his hands fly to Zoro’s hair, and it anchors him, making the tears in his eyes spring free and roll down his cheeks. </p><p>“I love you,” Zoro breathes as he releases the blonde cook. Sanji chuckles, which turns into a laugh, and then a cough. He recovers and smiles at Zoro. The swordsman can see Sanji’s frame trembling. He stands, shrugs his coat off and gives it to the blonde. Sanji slides into it, it’s too big but he doesn’t seem to mind.</p><p>Zoro helps him stand, then releases his hand only to grab it again as Sanji sways backwards and his knees tremble like a new born colt. Sanji chuckles, happiness shining in his eyes.</p><p>“It seems my work is done,” the white haired man says. Sanji looks at him with a nod and Zoro follows, bowing a little to the man. He sees Mihawk in the background, giving him a stare which translates to ‘this will not interfere with your training, Roronoa’ and Zoro chuckles.</p><p>Sanji has had no training, but he can catch up with Zoro if he wants to. And it seems that he will, and also wants to. He needs to learn how to walk again and it takes a few days for Sanji to do so. But when he’s done, he looks healthy and stronger. Apparently, his ghost form had been growing stronger with Zoro’s progress.</p><p>It’s late in the night, one of their last night on the island, when Sanji talks to him about it.</p><p>“I was scared,” the blonde mumbles into his skin. Zoro strokes his hair, gently weaves through the curly strands.</p><p>“I was as well,” he tells him.</p><p>Sanji snorts. “I heard you scream, you were angry. And you were blaming yourself. It wasn’t your fault.” He sighs and bites his lip, gazing far off to the side of their bed. “I was leeching off your strength, otherwise I would fade. And it seemed like you were giving it to me so willingly.”</p><p>Zoro looks at him. “I was,” he says. “Somewhere, I just knew that whatever was sapping my strength, was also helping me to grow stronger,” he murmurs into Sanji’s hair.</p><p>“Thanks,” Sanji smiles. Zoro can only smile back at him.</p><p>
  <strong>o-o-o</strong>
</p><p>Luffy’s eyes widen as he sets foot on the Sunny. He sees something impossible. Something he has wanted for the past two years and has never thought possible. But it’s there, <em>he’s</em> there. Standing next to Zoro, cigarette in his mouth, a smile on his face, is none other than Sanji. And Luffy can’t believe his eyes.</p><p>It seems the rest of the crew also can’t believe it.</p><p>“What the fuck?” Nami says crudely. Sanji’s head snaps up to look at her and he grins.</p><p>“Surprise!” he says in a sheepish voice.</p><p>“Zoro,” Luffy only says, his eyes still glued to Sanji’s face. The swordsman chuckles awkwardly.</p><p>“Well, uh- Sanji was a ghost, and because we have a… special connection, Mihawk asked for a favor and someone brought him back to life.” It’s not a real explanation. But Luffy doesn’t need a real one. He’s perfectly content with the mysteries of this world. He only needs Sanji to cook him good food that he has wanted – but thought he could never get again – for two years. He flies at the cook and hugs him so hard he can practically hear his bones snap. Sanji laughs, hugs him back, and it ensues a group hug with Franky scooping them all in his massive new arms.</p><p>Luffy hears Sanji’s voice in the midst of all the commotion, and it’s soft, but means a whole lot more than the cook might think it means.</p><p>“Thanks for seeing me,” he whispers.</p>
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